Assignment 1 Final Teacher Comment

7/27/2019 Assignment 1 Final Teacher Comment

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Observation Assignment 1 Shaw 1

Site Location: Fretwell

Description of Location: The Fretwell café is located on the lower most level of the

Fretwell building. The café is rather large for a café and is comprised of tables, chairs,food and drinks. The café has around 30 tables each contains either 2 or 4 chairs. In the

center of the café close to the inside wall, the cash register and food is located. On the

other side against the outside wall there is a series of fridges setup with various drinks.

There are several entrances, one located on the innermost wall of the café accessed by

students getting out of class, another located on the outermost wall easily accessed by

individuals that are passing the building from the outside, and last but not least an

emergency exit located near the cash register.

Figured World: A “figured world” is a setting in which “actors” and “artifacts” are

recognized. A “figured world” Is constructed based on the culture and the social

perspective. In a “figured world” a group or set of “actors” interact in a certain way

based on the location and environment around them.

Rules and Conventions: The “figured world” I will be observing is the Fretwell Café.

This establishment located on the first floor of the Fretwell building draws various

crowds. The Fretwell Café is a business owned by the University. Many people study in

this space, enjoy drinks, refreshments, and or other food items. The location of this café

is significant because students that have classes in Fretwell primarily use it. Some people

use this café to study for upcoming quizzes and or tests, to complete homework, or to

prepare for upcoming classes. Others use it to catch up with friends, to grab breakfast, or

to relax in-between classes. I will be observing this café during the morning and during

mid-day to compare and contrast the various activities and to compile how those

activities may or may not change from one part of the day to the next. Some activities are

obviously not appropriate in this establishment. For example people should not enter the

café yelling or cursing. The overall mood of the café is relaxed and serious so being

boisterous and or overly loud is not acceptable in this location. Talking and conversation

is acceptable but only at appropriate levels. Visitors need to be courteous of others and

understand that not everyone is there to socialize. Many are at the café for activities such

as studying. I believe that some individuals may become a distraction to other visitors in

the café that are trying to do school work and or study. Some individuals will violate

what is not acceptable and will be at fault for other visitor’s distractions and or fa ilures to

complete assignments at this location. I also expect to find visitors at Fretwell Café to

complete tasks and or other actions that I have not hypothesized.

Actor: An “actor” is an individual that is recognized interacting with “artifacts” within

a given “figured world”. Actors are influenced by the “figurative world” they are a part

of and the “artifacts” in which they interact with. Actors either follow the norms of the

fi gured world or they go against it.

Students: Men and Women that visit the Fretwell for a variety of reasonsincluding but not limited to: food, coffee, drinks, study time, homework, group

conversations, dates, and to kill time.

Comment [JS1]: Excellent work! This was

incredibly easy to follow, and very detailed.Your definitions and descriptions of the Bartleand Holland concepts were fantastic. Inrevision, I want you to work on the following fothe final portfolio:

How are you an actor in this specific figureworld? How does your role as an actor impact your observations?

I would like to see you move your photos toincoporate them as a part of the writing inyour assignment. With what you have takein the photos, I think there are many logicplaces you can incoporate them throughoutyour document.

Some sort of map of the location would beparticulary helpful. I would like for you tocreate a map of the location in MicrosoftWord using shapes and noting the specificlocations of discourse communities, artifactsactors, etc. This would be particularly usefuin visualizing what your observed throughou

your observations.





Professors: Men and Women that visit Fretwell for a variety of reasons similar to

that of Students but may include: meetings with colleagues, grade papers, enter information into the computer, update moodle, and talk on the phone.

Employees: Men and Women that work at Fretwell on a regular basis providing

customers (students, professors, etc.) with food, beverages, coffees and etc. These

individuals handle transactions, preparations of food, cleaning, and maintaining

the café overall.

Artifacts: An “artifact” is an object that has a place within the “figured world” and

usually plays a role in the way “actors” interact in the “figured world”. “Artifacts”

may influence the “actors” and often promote certain actions within the given “figured

world”.

Tables: Used by employees, students, professors, and customers for a variety of

reasons. Students usually use the tables to hold their homework, computer, and

food. Professors usually use these tables to hold their food, coffee, computer, and

or assignments that are being graded. Employees use the tables for breaks to eat

or just relax with their phone.

Chairs: Chairs are used by various customers. Everyone that uses a chair, uses it

to sit at a table.

Discourse Communities: A “discourse community” is a group of people that tend to do

the same simi lar action.

Studious: Many students use the café to study for upcoming classes. These

individuals desire to do well on their test or quiz.

Homework Completers: Many students and professors use the café to complete

homework, review the homework, or grade the homework. These individuals

have good work ethic and desire to complete various actions involving

homework.

Computer Users: Many individuals in the café use their computers for various

tasks. These individuals use their computer for a variety of activities that rangefrom academics to social networking.

Eaters and Drinkers: Some individuals visit the café for snacks, lunch, drinks,

and deserts. These individuals are either hungry, thirsty or are craving a certain

food.

Observation One

Thursday, September 5, 2013

Time: 4:20PM-5:10PM

4:20PM — There are about 10 people sitting around in the Fretwell Café spread out across

the seemingly large café room. The tables vary in size and sit either 2 or 4 people. Some

of the tables are closer to others while some are placed in odd places. Tables are placed

just about everywhere but some are more appealing than others. Some tables are placed

out of the way in corners or behind fixtures. Most of the individuals right now are sitting

at tables by themselves. There is only one couple in the café. The couple is dressed up

and looks like they could be professors.

Comment [JS2]: Needs to be clear about the

locations of the tables.

Comment [JS3]: Reword so that people know

they are the only ones in the café. Combine the tw

sentences to make it flow better.





4:30PM — There are various individuals that seem strongly engaged in their homework

on their computer. Talking is absent at the moment but thus far has remained at a low.

The only real noise in the café is the various machines that make ice, coffee and other

items. At closer inspection it is clear that the ice machine is the loudest thing in the entire

café.

4:40PM — People have started entering Fretwell café and heading directly to the line for

food. Many are looking at the menu and deciding what to order. Those that already know

what they are ordering simply walk to the front of the line and order the food and or

coffee of their choice. A police officer just entered and walked from the entrance over to

the open top refrigerator. She looks at the drinks for a moment and decided to pick up the

“Naked” beverage and proceed directly out of the café through the back entrance.

4:50PM — The café phone just started to ring for the first time since I have been in the

Fretwell Café. Of the remaining 5 students diligently working on their laptops all but one

looked up when the phone began to ring. The phone seems to be a distracting noise in a

place like this café where silence is key.

5:00PM — Activity has started to pick up as more people have started entering the café.

The jump in activity may have something to do with many classes getting out at 4:45PM

today. A line of students and professors is forming at the kitchen desk and the employees

are beginning to work at a faster pace.

5:10PM — Ten minutes have passed and the noise level is at an all time high. The line at

the kitchen desk is moving quickly which is good for the individuals that are running

from here to their next class.

Observation Two

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Time: 1:45PM-2:25PM

1:45PM — Fretwell Café is much busier today. The seats are packed and there are no

seats to spare. The line is currently very long and stretches from the cash register all the

way to the outside door. At this moment there are four employees on duty and they are

working frantically to serve everyone in line in a quickly and orderly manner.

1:55PM — Ten minutes have passed but the entire room has changed completely. People

are getting up and leaving presumably to head to their next class. Tables have started to

open up and the employees seem less stressed than they were 10 minutes ago.

2:10PM —

Looking around I can see two different types of people. One group of studentsis in Fretwell for academic reasons. The other group is in Fretwell for the Café services.

The academic students are sitting around at scattered tables with their glowing apple

Comment [JS4]: The word “who” should be

placed in sentence.

Comment [JS5]: See if it can be revised for

better clarity.

Comment [JS6]: Good description and

observation that you noticed all looked up but on





logos typing papers, completing online math homework, and reading emails. Some

students are standing in line waiting for a bite to eat.

2:20PM — One student just walked in and appears to be in a hurry. He walks up to the

Café worker quickly and asks for an Ice coffee. Unfortunately the café worker politely

tells the student that they are out of ice. Apparently the ice machine is now broken.

2:25PM — This café is nearly a ghost town. There are only 5 of us left in the Café and it

is no longer as loud as it was. Everything interesting appears to have left and the

remaining students are hard at work completely essays, texting, and just looking around

awkwardly. One individual appears to be watching me closely from across the room.

Maybe they are doing the same observation that I am.

Observation Three

Thursday, September 12, 2013Time: 4:45PM-6:15PM

4:45PM — Fretwell currently has light traffic. A few people are coming and going but for

the most part nothing interesting is going on. A student with a red book bag just bought a

sandwich and is walking to an empty table eating it.

5:00PM — Two men are sitting two my right and look important. They are discussing the

university leading me to believe they are important figures at our school. One individual

is discussing funds and asking the other one if he would like excess funds. Workers are

working at a steady but not extremely busy pace. One worker is making a coffee and the

other is making a sandwich for a student that looks very hungry.

5:10PM —

Pace has picked up as more individuals are entering the café for food anddrinks. The ice machine appears to be working today so individuals appear to be in a

happier and more relaxed mood. One girl is walking back to her seat with her sandwich.

She dropped something but it looks like it was just her phone. It would have been tragic if

she had dropped her sandwich instead.

5:20PM — One employee is washing her hands in what appears to be a closet. It must just

be a small employee accessible room. Many of the tables have filled up but five tables

reaming leaving 14 available seats for new visitors.

5:25PM — Another employee has entered the closet to wash their hands. The two

important looking individuals are now standing up and it appears they are getting ready to

leave. They have started moving closer to the exit and are now walking through the exit

door to leave Fretwell café.

5:35PM — Laughter is at an all time high as people are entering the café. An employee

just dropped a plastic fixture and appears to be getting scolded by a superior or manager.





The manager keeps repeating “that costs 80 dollars”. The scolded employee, obviously a

student doesn’t seem shaken and is back at work.

5:45PM — The girl sitting at the table next to me is looking over my shoulder at what I

am doing. She is most likely reading exactly what I am typing now. She is now talking on

the phone, or pretending to in order to play off that I know she is being nosey.

6:00PM — Fretwell is a center of gossip today sitting around me seems to be talking bad

about people. One girl is criticizing one of her room mates to what appears to be her

boyfriend. Other tables are talking about how hard classes are. The only quite table in this

café at this exact point and time is me of course and a student sitting on the other side

writing on a piece of paper.

6:15PM — The police officer mentioned in an earlier observation is back in the café this

time socializing with the employees. She must be friends with them because they are allgathered around laughing loudly about something. Maybe she gets free drinks because

she is friends with the workers.

Interviewer: Jacob Shaw

Interviewed Individual: Hannah Pulliam (UNCC Student)

Date: 9/12/13

Tell me about how you use this Café? Have you tried the food or coffee?

I have used the café several times. I like to get snacks in between classes. I got some

wasabi nuts just the other day! I have studied in the café before but it is not the best place

in my opinion to study.

Explain how you view this establishment? What do you believe is its most useful

aspect?

The most useful aspect of the Fretwell Café is it location. It is in a good place because it

is accessible between classes. I don’t have to walk all the way to the student union if I

need something to eat or drink.

Why are some people coming and going so quickly in comparison to others?

Most people are stopping by quickly to get something to satisfy their hunger. It is

accessed the most from my experience in between classes. The one time that I visited the

café during class, it was not very busy.

If you could do anything to change this Café what would it be?

I would make it bigger because it can get very crowded at certain times of the day.

Comment [JS7]: This should be at another

observation.

Comment [JS8]: Add that she is a student at

UNCC.

Comment [JS9]: Your interviewed individual

answers yours questions thoroughly.





Would you recommend that others use this café? If so explain why.

Yes the service is great and the coffee is just what you need to get you through morning

classes! Its location is a great feature and its one of my favorite places to get snacks.

Have you ever encountered a problem at this Café?

I have never had a problem with the Fretwell café. Everything has always been better

than expected for me!

Comment [JS10]: This should probably locate

at the top, its more of an introduction.





Hours of Operation

Located at inside

Entrance.





Fretwell Café

Inside Entrance

Fretwell Café

Where to buy

your food or

coffee?





Fretwell Café

Beverages

located near

rear Exit.

Table of 2 and

location of “Naked”

drinks mentioned in

observation.

Documents

Assignment 1 Final Teacher Comment